1. The Physical Death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Dr. Mark I. Kaldas

2. PURPOSE
Examine the physical pains that our Lord endured on our behalf:
Medically
Scientifically
Historical Review:
The practice of crucifixion
The chronological events leading up the crucifixion of Christ
Animate All

3. SOURCES The Divine Gospels Church fathers
Non-church fathers and historians
The Shroud of Turin
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
William D Edwards, MD, et. al.
Nothing

4. Challenge Questions
1) Why was crucifixion used? (why not decapitation?)
Slow death with maximal pain and suffering
2) What is the usual cause of death due to being crucified?
Respiratory distress = asphyxiation
3) What range of time could someone hang on the cross for?
3 hours to 4 days (96 hours)
4) Who was crucifixion usually reserved for?
Slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, vile criminals, sometimes desertion of soldiers

5. What was Christ’s Physical Condition?
Is there anything explicit in the bible? No
What we do know:
He was a carpenter
He traveled by foot a great deal
Travel leading to crucifixion . . .
How far did He travel (foot) in the days leading to His death?

6. What is Hematohidrosis?
Map of
Jerusalem
What is Hematohidrosis?
Passover - Southwest Jerusalem  Northwest Jerusalem (Passover meal) to (Mount of Olives)
Prayer Within Northwest (Mount of Olives  Garden of Gethsemane)
Arrest Northwest Jerusalem  Southwest Jerusalem (Garden of Gethsemane  Caiaphas residence)
Pilot trial – Southwest Jerusalem  Center (Caiaphas residence  Temple)
Herod Trial within Center (Temple  Herod)
2nd Pilot within Center (Herod  Pilot)
Scourging within Center (Pilot  Fortress of Antonia)
Parade within Center
> 2.5 mi in ~36 Hrs
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

7. SCOURGING
Purpose . . .
Legal preliminary to every Roman execution (39 times [Roman law])
Short whip used (flagrum/flagellum)
braided leather thongs
small iron balls
sharp sheep bone
Soldiers repeatedly struck the back at full force
Iron balls and sheep bone would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissue
Deep cuts in the skin would lead to deep tears in the skeletal muscle of the back
Pain and blood loss would set the stage for hypovolemic shock
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

8. SCOURGING The prisoner tied to upright post
One or two men (lictors) would alternate
1Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed.
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

9. SCOURGING OF JESUS Additional physical punishments
Crown of thorns
Struck on the head
Spat on Him
Tore the robe off of His back
Tearing open wounds
Severe blood loss
Romans pulled out Christ’s beard
Isaiah 50:6: "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.”

10. SCOURGING OF JESUS
Isaiah 52:14: "..... Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness”
Medically, our Lord’s condition was likely serious to critical
And what did they do then?

11. CRUCIFIXION PRACTICES
Horizontal crossbar (patibulum)
Weighing 75 – 125 lbs
5 – 6 ft long
Carried from flogging site to crucifixion site (~650 yards)
Usually naked
After scourging by Romans, Jesus was led with the two thieves to be crucified
Walked down path now called Via Dolorosa (i.e., “way of suffering”) to Golgotha (~650 yards)
Christ likely fell several times carrying the heavy patibulum down the steps from the Fortress of Antonia
Weakened severely by the flogging and likely circulatory shock, Jesus was too weak to carry His own patibulum
Simon of Cyrene summoned to carry it for Him to Golgotha
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

12. CRUCIFIXION PRACTICES
Prisoner thrown to ground
Drink of myrrh and wine
Served as anesthetic
Christ refused
Wrists nailed to patibulum
Hands = wrists
Tapered iron spikes
Patibulum and prisoner lifted onto the stipes
Victim’s belongings divided up among soldiers
3 – 4 hr to 9 day survival
Death hastened by crucifracture
To confirm death, spear to heart
Upright post (stipes)
Permanently in the ground
Crude seat attached to stipes
as to not have a clouded mind during His crucifixion (Edersheim, et al.)
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

13. CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS
Psalm 22:14-15: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.”
Shoulder dislocated as patibulum is violently hoisted onto stipes
Dehydration due to severe hypovolemia (loss of blood)

14. CRUCIFIXION PRACTICES
Invented by the Persians
Perfected by the Romans
Used as a form of torture and Capital Punishment
Designed to produce a slow death with maximal pain and suffering
It was the most disgraceful and cruelest method of execution
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

15. MEDICAL ASPECTS OF CRUCIFIXION
Fixation of the arms:
Nail would crush or sever the sensorimotor nerves in the hand
Produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain
Paralysis of portion of hand
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

16. MEDICAL ASPECTS OF CRUCIFIXION
Fixation of the feet:
Feet were nailed to stipes (90o flexion)
Between 2nd and 3rd toes
Severance of nerves and arteries in the foot
Pain
Additional blood loss
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

17. So what is the usual cause of death?
Respiratory Distress or Asphyxia

18. MEDICAL ASPECTS OF CRUCIFIXION
Respiration
Severe interference with normal respiration (exhale)… (speech)
Each breath, victim must push up on nailed feet
Pain
Reopen wounds
Eventually, exhaustion asphyxia
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

19. Have you ever thought? Challenge Questions
Jesus spoke 7 times in short sentences
Difficult to breathe, more difficult to speak
Challenge Questions
What is the term for breaking of bones while on the cross?
Crucifracture
Friday, approximately 3 pm, our Lord cried with a loud voice and bowed His head and departed
Crucifractured thieves’ legs to hasten death; Jesus already passed so prophecy of “not a bone of His shall be broken,” fulfilled
Spear to heart to confirm death
2) Why was this done? (medically)
Hasten death
3) What does the word excruciating mean? (language root)
Latin – excruciatus – meaning “out of the cross”

20. SPEAR TO HEART Struck with 6 ft infantry spear
“…produced a sudden flow of blood and water”
Medically unclear
Possibly RBCs (blood) and then plasma (water)
Blood from inside heart and fluid around lungs or heart
Is this order accurate?!?!? Scientific
John 19:34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
Greek order . . .
Edwards, WD, Gabel, WJ, Hosmer, FE: On The Physical Death Jesus Christ. JAMA 1986; 255(11):

21. Medical Conclusion
Jesus Christ endured the most painful and gruesome death at the hand of mankind

22. THE GREATEST EVENT
Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ endured the most painful and gruesome death at the hand of mankind so that He may save us, His creation, and that we may have life everlasting. What’s more different about Christ’s sufferings is not His passion, but His glorious Resurrection. Glory be to God Forever, Amen